Course Co-Directors:
Leslie J. Heinberg, PhD; James E. Mitchell, MD; David B. Sarwer, PhD; Meg H. Zeller, PhD

Continuing Education Information:

Satisfactory Completion
Participants must complete an evaluation form in order to receive a certificate of completion.  Your chosen sessions must be attended in their entirety.  Partial credit of individual sessions is not available.

Psychologists
This course is co-sponsored by Amedco and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).  Amedco is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  Amedco maintains responsibility for this program and its content.  Up to 3.5 hours.

Social Workers
This course has been submitted for review to NASW in Washington, DC.

Nurses
Nursing credits, up to 4 CE credits, are provided byTaylor College, Los Angeles, California (possibly may or may not be accepted for national certification).

Course Overview and Target Audience:
The Behavioral Health Course provides an overview of the psychological and behavioral issues of bariatric surgery patients both before and after surgery.  The course is designed for psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, licensed counselors and other mental and medical health professionals who work with bariatric surgery patients.  The goal of this fundamentals symposium is to provide a primer on behavioral bariatrics for new practitioners and an update for participants with more experience in the evaluation and treatment of bariatric patients.

Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

•  Identify medical comorbidities associated with severe obesity and the most commonly performed weight loss surgeries
• Increase knowledge regarding psychiatric comorbidities associated with severe obesity and psychiatric contra-indications for surgery
• Describe strategies for mental health preoperative assessment and pre- and postoperative treatment
• Identify potential psychosocial complications following weight loss surgery

Course Outline:

Moderator:  Leslie Heinberg, PhD

7:00am
Registration

8:00am
Introduction to Bariatric Behavioral Health – Leslie Heinberg, PhD

8:15am
Overview of Surgical Procedures, Risks and Benefits – Stacy Brethauer, MD

8:35am
Psychiatric, Psycho-Social and Behavioral Comorbidities in Weight Loss Surgery Patients – James Mitchell, MD

8:55am
Psychological Assessment:  Personality, Psychopathology, Eating and QOL Measures – Leslie Heinberg, PhD

9:15am
The Psychological Evaluation Process: Interview Techniques – Stephanie Sogg, PhD

9:35am
Bariatric Behavioral Health in Private Practice Setting – Stephen Ritz, PhD

10:00am
Refreshment Break

10:15am
Pre-Surgical Psychological Treatment Interventions – Kelli Friedman, PhD

10:35am
Post-Surgical Concerns: Psychiatric Medications, Alcohol Use, Eating-Disordered Behavior – Janelle Coughlin, PhD

10:55am
The Behavioral Health Specialist, the Surgeon and the Multidisciplinary Team – David Sarwer, PhD

Faculty Panel Discussion:

11:15am
Challenging Case Presentations

11:30am
Areas of Future Research

11:45am
Q&A Session

12:00pm
Adjourn